A true journalist and Israeli patriot

I've known Boaz Bismuth for several decades. He is one of the most diligent reporters out there and also one of the most fair and balanced. However, for Yedioth Ahronoth, the newspaper of Israeli criminals (from Ehud Olmert to Aryeh Deri to Haim Ramon), the trait of fairness is apparently worthy of condemnation. This is one reason for its repulsive disparagement of Bismuth. We will get to the other reason later.

Bismuth is a rare journalist. While many of us are sitting in our air-conditioned offices, scratching our heads and preparing another cup of coffee, Bismuth is on the other side of the world, sometimes in countries that aspire to destroy us. He goes into hostile countries and talks to people on the street as well as heads of state who dream of throwing us into the sea. He sat until the wee hours of the morning with demonstrators in Tahrir Square, talked with young mourners at Nelson Mandela's funeral, interviewed Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, chased Moammar Gadhafi in Libya and climbed to the top of a skyscraper in the United Arab Emirates. What more could he do? Bismuth brings us stories straight from the places where they are happening. This is real journalism, something that is becoming harder and harder to find.

When Bismuth is not overseas, he remains at the newspaper office until late at night as the foreign news editor. He is a dedicated soul.

So what was Bismuth's sin? He was offered a government job, and if that was not enough, the job offer was made by someone whom Yedioth Ahronoth perceives to be a greater threat to the State of Israel than the Iranian nuclear program -- Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Netanyahu decided that finding a solution to the grave problem posed by the African infiltrators in this country required hearing from people who are able to think outside the box. What a terrible transgression. And since Netanyahu turned to Bismuth, now Bismuth has been put on the list of people who must be excoriated.

Bismuth has already worked for the government in the past. He was Israel's ambassador to Mauritania, which was not an easy job. Unlike those at Yedioth Ahronoth, Bismuth is a true Israeli patriot, someone who is proud of his Judaism and his heritage. At Yedioth Ahronoth, they do not understand the phrase "Israeli patriot."

A wise man who has since passed away once taught me an important rule in life: When you try to sling mud at someone, you might hit him or you might not. But what is certain is that some of the mud will remain on your hand. That is what happened to Yedioth Ahronoth with its article on Tuesday. Bismuth, as everyone who is familiar with him knows, remains clean.

טעינו? נתקן! אם מצאתם טעות בכתבה, נשמח שתשתפו אותנו